Morpeth brain tumour survivor to tackle 20 walks to mark 20 years since cancer diagnosis

Tom Sanderson and his wife Lucy will spend the next 12 months hiking all over the country, and will walk along the Northumberland coast at the start of next month.

Already, the pair have raised more than £1,700 for the Brain Tumour Charity, but are hoping to reach £5,000 by the end of the year.

Tom was just 16 when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour, but he had been experiencing symptoms for about a year before that.

His headaches, sickness, fainting and inability to concentrate were put down to teenage anxiety, until things reached a dramatic crisis when he was at home near Morpeth during the Christmas holidays.

Tom, 35, said: “Medical professionals believed that I was a typical teenager struggling with stress from exams.

"At the time it was quite hard to be dropped down academic sets and made to study alone as I was embarrassed by it and unable to control the situation. This made me feel isolated, which was very difficult.

“I don't remember anything about the build up to my diagnosis but understand that I had been unwell for a few weeks beforehand.

"On the first day of holidays I collapsed whilst with my sister and mum. They rang 999 and when the ambulance arrived they quickly took me into the nearest hospital for an MRI scan which showed that I had severe hydrocephalus and a tumour on my brain stem.”

Tom was put into an induced coma and underwent emergency surgery, which revealed he had a grade one astrocytoma. Then began the long road to recovery.

Two decades since his own symptoms were initially missed, Tom is championing The Brain Tumour Charity’s ‘Better Safe Than Tumour’ campaign. The campaign is aiming to raise awareness of possible cancer signs and symptoms.

Tom said: “Better Safe Than Tumour is an unbelievably important campaign. It’s vital to raise awareness of early warning signs of brain tumours as they can often present as a minor illness, but if someone is experiencing two or more of the common symptoms it is so important to get in front of a medical professional for advice.”

Tom’s year-long walking challenge was born out of a desire to mark the 20 years since his brain tumour diagnosis, and celebrate with friends and family how far he has come. His programme of walks for 2023 will take in all parts of the UK – from the Dorset coast to his Northumberland roots.

Tom, who is now living in London, said: “I know how fortunate I am to have recovered as well as I have done. As the years have gone by, I have raised money for various charities but this year feels like such an important anniversary to mark.

“Awareness is rising, but there is so much more to be done. The treatment for this condition remains incredibly intrusive and life changing and there needs to be more research and investigation into the treatment and rehabilitation of the condition."

To donate, go online at: www.justgiving.com/Tom-Sanderson13.